PARKCITYLIFE / Faces
DIRECTING THE ARTS NANCY STOAKS / TONY GILL
TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT NELL LARSEN / TONY GILL
“I GREW UP among the mountains and lakes in upstate New York, so the outdoors have always been a big part of my life,” says Nell Larsen, executive director of the Swaner Eco Center. Larsen passed up a job back east for a life in Park City. “Park City is the perfect place for the Preserve and Eco Center,” she says. “People here have such passion for where they live. It’s a super-supportive community that’s so curious and interested in the natural world.” Larsen says her mission is twofold: “Preserve and restore open space and educate the community about it.” The EcoClub is geared towards local middle schoolers, combining volunteer work with educational experiences like learning about beekeeping and how
120
PARKCITYLIFE SEPT/OCT 2016
to track moose. Programs for adults and families include wetland tours to see spotted frogs or owl prowls. Larsen and her team also bring new programming to the exhibit hall, which always includes hands-on activities and a touch table for kids to learn about seasonal topics. This fall there’s a special exhibit commemorating the centennial of the National Park Service. “We’re really excited for this exhibit, which features incredible photography by Rick Braveheart and a collection of antique camera equipment. He’s been awarded 12 artist-inresidence positions with the Park Service, which has led to some amazingly beautiful photographs,” Larsen says. Swaner Eco Center 1258 Center Drive, Park City, 435649-1767, swanerecocenter.org
“THE GREAT THING about working at a nonprofit like the Kimball is that the community we serve is always at the forefront of our minds. When we’re thinking about what exhibits to present, we focus on what will speak the most to our visitors and have the biggest impact for them,” says Kimball Art Center’s Exhibitions Director Nancy Stoaks. Stoaks has been working in the arts for the past 15 years, and knows just how powerful art can be. “At the Kimball we’re able to have an outsize impact on a tiny town.” Stoaks works with a team of people to put together a lineup of exhibits that will appeal to the Kimball’s diverse visitor base. “The goal that drives our decisions is to think about what issues are
particularly relevant to our community and what artists are going to inspire us to look at things in new ways,” Stoaks explains. It’s her job to make the art accessible by designing the exhibits and writing compelling descriptions. “I think about how to create an entry into these different artistic worlds.” Stoaks’s latest curation is an exhibition by Sibylle Szaggars Redford, Robert Redford’s wife, who divides her time between Sundance and New Mexico. “Her work is influenced by the torrential desert rains,” says Stoaks. “They’re made with dry pigments, which are exposed to the rain to create beautiful abstract pieces.” Kimball Art Center: 1401 Kearns Blvd, Park City, 435-6498882, kimballartcenter.org